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The effects of costs on drone uptake in multi-modal logistics systems within a healthcare setting

The effects of costs on drone uptake in multi-modal logistics systems within a healthcare setting
The effects of costs on drone uptake in multi-modal logistics systems within a healthcare setting
Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs; commonly known as drones) have been gaining interest as a potential transport mode for logistics (i.e., payload delivery), bringing suggested benefits such as reduced transit times and improved access in hard-to-reach locations. However, drones have yet to become widely established in routine logistics systems, with a postulated reason being that the higher costs associated with operating drones relative to traditional surface transport modes (e.g., vans, bicycle couriers) present a barrier to uptake. Based on case studies of two real-world logistics networks transporting patient pathology samples in a healthcare setting in the United Kingdom, this study investigated the effects of the relative costs of drones on mode choice in integrated, multi-modal logistics systems. Results suggested that drones could be a financially viable option if their costs reduced below ~19% of current values, although such a reduction may not be feasible, even in a future involving increased drone automation. Drones reduced sample transit times by up to ~70% compared to vans but benefits to the wider healthcare system were negligible because level of service requirements for transit times could be achieved by all modes.
2949-8996
58-75
Grote, Matt
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Oakey, Andrew
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Pilko, Aliaksei
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Krol, Jakub
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Blakesley, Alexander
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Cherrett, Tom
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Scanlan, James
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Anvari, Bani
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Martinez-Sykora, Antonio
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Grote, Matt
f29566f9-42a7-498a-9671-8661a4287754
Oakey, Andrew
dfd6e317-1e6d-429c-a3e0-bc80e92787d1
Pilko, Aliaksei
862c6e08-d848-49f9-ae61-d222751d6422
Krol, Jakub
d034772d-681e-4119-8068-ba6250d56ced
Blakesley, Alexander
e0d82136-9157-4e6d-a134-599449767116
Cherrett, Tom
e5929951-e97c-4720-96a8-3e586f2d5f95
Scanlan, James
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Anvari, Bani
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Martinez-Sykora, Antonio
2f9989e1-7860-4163-996c-b1e6f21d5bed

Grote, Matt, Oakey, Andrew, Pilko, Aliaksei, Krol, Jakub, Blakesley, Alexander, Cherrett, Tom, Scanlan, James, Anvari, Bani and Martinez-Sykora, Antonio (2024) The effects of costs on drone uptake in multi-modal logistics systems within a healthcare setting. Transport Economics and Management, 2, 58-75. (doi:10.1016/j.team.2024.03.001).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs; commonly known as drones) have been gaining interest as a potential transport mode for logistics (i.e., payload delivery), bringing suggested benefits such as reduced transit times and improved access in hard-to-reach locations. However, drones have yet to become widely established in routine logistics systems, with a postulated reason being that the higher costs associated with operating drones relative to traditional surface transport modes (e.g., vans, bicycle couriers) present a barrier to uptake. Based on case studies of two real-world logistics networks transporting patient pathology samples in a healthcare setting in the United Kingdom, this study investigated the effects of the relative costs of drones on mode choice in integrated, multi-modal logistics systems. Results suggested that drones could be a financially viable option if their costs reduced below ~19% of current values, although such a reduction may not be feasible, even in a future involving increased drone automation. Drones reduced sample transit times by up to ~70% compared to vans but benefits to the wider healthcare system were negligible because level of service requirements for transit times could be achieved by all modes.

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Accepted/In Press date: 14 March 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 15 March 2024
Published date: 22 March 2024

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 488095
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/488095
ISSN: 2949-8996
PURE UUID: e4f2fb47-47b1-4a6c-b53e-64b3cd956ee3
ORCID for Matt Grote: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-5590-7150
ORCID for Andrew Oakey: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1796-5485
ORCID for Aliaksei Pilko: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-0023-0300
ORCID for Tom Cherrett: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-0394-5459
ORCID for Bani Anvari: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-7916-7636
ORCID for Antonio Martinez-Sykora: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2435-3113

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 15 Mar 2024 17:37
Last modified: 01 Oct 2024 02:05

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Contributors

Author: Matt Grote ORCID iD
Author: Andrew Oakey ORCID iD
Author: Aliaksei Pilko ORCID iD
Author: Jakub Krol
Author: Alexander Blakesley
Author: Tom Cherrett ORCID iD
Author: James Scanlan
Author: Bani Anvari ORCID iD

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